Mary Macapagal is a jewelry designer based in Austin, Texas, and the founder of the brand ikki (pronounced ee-kee). Her work explores jewelry as wearable sculpture—intimate objects that carry memory, identity, and meaning. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Mary began making jewelry less than a year ago, working primarily with lost wax casting and fabrication techniques. Her process is slow and hands-on, with each piece made individually. She deliberately leaves behind small imperfections—tool marks, textures, and irregular forms—as a way to honor the raw, honest nature of both materials and memory.

Mary is currently pursuing an Associate’s degree in Jewelry at Austin Community College, where she continues to deepen her technical skills and creative direction. Her work often draws from everyday details of her Filipino upbringing, using familiar objects and memories as starting points. Through jewelry, Mary explores ideas of identity, place, and transformation. She creates pieces that feel personal and lived-in, subtle in form, yet deeply connected to her own lived experience.

“Seeds of Hope is my first jewelry collection. It is a love letter to the Philippines. It’s inspired by the familiar flowers that surrounded me as a child, woven into daily routines and always in the background. I didn’t pay much attention to them then, but after moving to the U.S., their absence made them feel more meaningful. They became reminders of home that I carried with me in memory.

The collection features forms based on several flowers from my childhood, including Sampaguita, often sold outside churches, and Santan, which we used to pick and turn into bracelets as kids. These simple details became a way to reconnect with where I’m from, using material, shape, and memory.” - Mary Macapagal